Spring-heel.



No, 857,816. 4 TENT- TINE 25g '1907.

' LUZZ.

SPP-ING HEEL,

APPLIUATIOH FILED A UG.1. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE..

AUGUST F. Luzzi, or oLEBURNnTEXAs.

ASF'RING-i-IEEL.

vSpecification of Letters Patent.

yPatr-interi. June 25, 1907.

Application led August 1,1906. Serial No1 328,790.

To all whom, it may concern: l

Beit known that I, AUGUST F. Luzzi, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Cleburne,

' in the county of Johnson and State of Texas,

have invented 4certain new and useful -Im-- l. walking on pavements and also permits the foot to adjust-itself naturally in the shoe to diminish any tendency toward wearing the "heel unevenlv.

In general the invention consists essen- .tially of a plate iitting loosely within the heel of a shoe and having a splring tongue formed in conjunction therewit and a spring located under thespring tongue and having a peculiar connection therewith.

Fora full understanding of the inventio and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge ofthe details of construction of the means forv effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe invention showing a shoe in dotted lines; Fig. 2 vis a bottiom plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a longituma Fig. 4 is a bottom lan view of a lmodified form; Fig. 5 is a simi ar view of a second modi-' fi'cation.

Corresponding and` like parts are referredA to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the draw-ings by the same reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates a plate formed of metal or other spring material and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the heel of a shoe, -one side having a curved `and a the said tongueis bent outward y so as to 'have a spring action.` and tend to force the' heel ofthe foot-.of the wearer upwardly. In order to hold the plate securely in osition vwithin the shoe, teeth 5 are'stamped om the plate 1 adjacent the straight edge 3 and are sectional view through the spring heel of two `benty downwardly and embedded in the inner sole of the shoe when the device is in use.

A covering 6 of leather or similar exible material is placed over the upper face of the platel 1 and isnormally raised upward, as in'L dicated in Fig. 1, bymeans of the spring -tongue 4. v,In the present instance, it will be observed that the covering 6 extends somewhat beyond the straight edge 3 of the plate 1 and forms a cushion between the foot of the wearer and the metallic portions of the heel. This leather covering is held in position by means of a strip 7 of metal or similar material, the ends of whichare passed through the leather and then slipped, around the tongue 4 and are then bent inwardly as indicated at 8 in Fig. 2 so as to engage with the base or flower portion of the tongue 4. For purposes of ventilation, an opening 9 may be formed in the tongue 4 and a corresponding opening made in the flexible covering 6.

vA spring 10 is located beneath the tongue 4 and tends to coperate with the same to form a resilient bearing for the foot of the wearer. a coil spring which ta ers toward the lower end thereof so as to nt closely against the tongue 4 when compressed. I`n` the preferred form ofthe invention shown in the rst three figures of the drawings, a pair of parallel and longitudinal cuts are formed in the upper portion of the tongue 4 and the stra 11.*between the cuts pressed downwar ly the end of the spring 10 being passed This spring is shown in the form of through the opening thus formed. l It will be observed that the portion of the spring 10 immediately overthe strip 11 is flattened as seen at 12x and vthis flattened portion coper; ates withl the strap 11 to hold the .base of the spring normally against the lower face of the tongue 4. However, the spring 10 has a hinged connection 'with the tongue and if found necessary can be swung outwardlyas indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. This would enable a supplemental spring to be placed within the main spring should the latter not prove strong enough.

In the modification shown in Fi 4, the end of the spring 10 is bent outwar ly at 13 and passed over a strap 14 formed in the plate 1 adjacent the straight edge 3 by means arallel and transverse cuts. In this gure, it willbe also observed that the opposite side of the spring 'f' "l isheld against the tongue 4 by"'an ear'15 stamped therefrom.v

In the form shown in Fig. 5 one side'of the .IIC

11EIL similar te the strap 11 of the preferred form, while the end of .the spring is engaged by an ear 16 at the base of the tongue 4.

' With this latter construction, the spring 10 could. be swung outwardly in' the manner similar to that described in connection 'with the preferred form by irst turning it to throw the end of the s rin out ofengagenient with the ear 16. n a of the forms of the invention, however, the spring is detachably connected to the tongue 4 so as to bev r readily replaced if necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what 'is claimed. as new is:

1,l In a device of the characterldescribed, the'combination of a plate fitting within the `heel of a shoe and provided with teeth for holding it in position, the said plate having a spring tongue stamped therefrom andbent s ightly outward, a flexible covering fitting over. the tongue, and a strip of material for spring is held in position by means of a strap l holding the flexible Acovering in position, the

ends of the before mentioned strip being passedthrough the flexible covering and bent z 5 into engagement with the base of the tongue.

2. In a deviceof the character described, the combination of a plate iitting within the heel of a shoeand having a tongue formed in conjunction therewith and bent slightly out- 3o ward, the saidtongue being formed with a strap .located between two parallel cuts, and a coil sprin fitting under the tongue and engaging wit 'the strap the portion of the spring adjacent the strap being flattened andy; 35 cooperating with the strap to prevent any pivotal movement of the spring and hold the same securely against the tongue.

in testimony whereof I a'liix my signature. in. presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST F. LUZZI. [LA s] Vilitnesses MORBURG, GEO. E. PAUL. 

